Winging It

  ‘No leash?’ Nick teased and got a growl from Derek for that.

  ‘Wolves don’t wear leashes and collars,’ Liam said. ‘They need their autonomy.’

  Derek matched his pace to Liam then, and I knew they’d get along just fine.

  ‘Well, you’d better tell them he’s your dog and just looks like a wolf,’ Nick said and Liam nodded.

  ‘I’ll beguile to get him in, if I have to,’ Liam said. ‘We’re going to need him.’

  Jessica seemed to be waiting just inside the house for us. She watched us come closer, that coy smile playing over her lips. She checked out Nick and her smile broadened.

  He grinned right back at her. ‘Who’s that? The cute girl with Meagan?’

  Before I could answer, Jessica looked straight at me. I could see the glint of her eyes in the darkness as they narrowed.

  Then she bared her teeth and hissed at me.

  I put on the ring again and nearly fell over in shock. When I looked at her with my enhanced vision, it was clear that she was a jaguar, tawny, spotted, and powerful. With the same long-lashed amber eyes as she had in human form.

  Shifter type number four, present and accounted for.

  Open your eyes, Unktehila.

  How could I have missed this? I felt more stupid than I ever had in my life – which was saying something. Derek had even warned me. There were jaguar shifters and evidently at least one of them went to our school.

  Was that why Trevor was dating her?

  What else hadn’t I noticed?

  Meanwhile, Jessica’s tail lashed the way a cat’s does when it’s playing with a mouse. I saw her dig her claws into Meagan’s shoulder.

  And push her deeper into Trevor’s house.

  Was she helping the Mages?

  Then she beckoned to Nick.

  He moved at light speed, apparently forgetting all about us.

  ‘Wait!’ I cried, but he was already heading up the steps. He disappeared into the house, surrounded immediately by the golden spell light of the Mages. He was laughing, making friends with his usual easy charm, shaking hands with Jessica.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Liam said, but I just ran for the door.

  Derek snarled and bounded after me. There was no time to consider our options or make a better plan. Nick and Meagan were in there already, so we had to follow.

  I couldn’t help thinking that this was exactly what the Mages had hoped would happen. And we hadn’t been able to do anything about it.

  ‘Zoë!’ Trevor cried at the door as if I were the homecoming queen. I wondered just how drunk he would need to be to actually be so glad to see me. Obviously he was just gleeful that his plan was coming together so well.

  The music poured into the street, pulsing with energy. The orange spell light was so bright that I had to keep my eyes narrowed. I didn’t dare take off the ring, though. I needed all the information I could get.

  Of course, I would never let Trevor know what I could see. Dumb ol’ dragon, that was me.

  ‘I can only stop in for a few minutes,’ I said with a smile. ‘We’re just on our way to a party at the college.’

  Trevor’s eyes glittered. ‘No problem. Come on in.’ His gaze fell on Derek and I wondered how much he knew. ‘Is your dog trained?’ he asked Liam.

  ‘Absolutely,’ Liam said. He buried his fingers in the scruff of Derek’s neck, as if they were old allies. ‘I can count on him anywhere.’

  Trevor looked from one to the other for a moment, then smiled as he stepped back. I guessed that if he knew what – if not who – Derek was, then he hadn’t counted on his presence tonight. That smile, though, made me wonder. Was he glad to have more hunted shifters present?

  I was afraid that we weren’t just contributing to the success of the Mage plan for the evening, but unwittingly improving upon it.

  We had to lift our collective game.

  I recognized a bunch of people from school, although the costumes made it tricky. Cleopatra was there, a caveman, a Martian, at least four vampires, Julius Caesar, the president, Cinderella (she was wearing one clear shoe, which was the clue), an Amazon tribesman with a bone through his nose, Dorothy in her gingham dress and ruby slippers, a zombie, and a mummy with bandages unraveling all over the carpet.

  Worse, the room was thick with Mages. Thanks to my ring, I could see them, their forms flickering. They slipped from form to form in rapid succession, their edges blurring with the transformations. I’m not sure whether they do it on purpose, or whether I was seeing their truth. Either way, the cycling between forms – minotaur, unicorn, snake, eagle, centaur, griffin, etc., etc., etc. – was a shocking display of all the shape shifter species they’d eliminated. As before, it blew me away to see how many kinds of shifters there had once been. I wondered whether every kind of creature had once had a partner species: one kind shifted and one kind didn’t. The Mages were cleaning up the shifter varieties, leaving just the unshifters.

  And themselves, with all shifting powers.

  The sight was a telling reminder of their plans for us.

  The orange spell light wound all around them, a glowing ribbon that bound everyone more closely together. When I could stand to look at it, I could see its path – it led straight to the basement. I could hear people laughing down there and I truly didn’t want to go down those stairs. I took off the ring for a moment to give myself a break from the visuals, and shoved it into my pocket.

  There was also a lot of smoke in the house. Pot, incense, and cigarettes. The combination was overwhelming. I saw a couple of bottles of Jim Beam making the rounds and some huge jugs of cheap wine. There was a lot of giggling and a good number of fondling couples. Someone pinched my butt as I moved through the crowd, looking for Meagan.

  There was no sign of her, which worried me.

  How could she have already disappeared?

  I headed toward the kitchen, as if looking for a drink. Artificial stimulus was the last thing I needed. Meagan was there, much to my relief. She was standing against the counter, looking a bit lost. She was explaining her costume to someone, with enough exasperation that I knew it wasn’t the first time she’d been asked.

  Jessica was beside her, in her superhero costume.

  Standing guard, was my first impression.

  Claws sharp.

  Anyone else I knew would have been self-conscious – okay, except maybe Suzanne – but Jessica was working that costume. Guys were clustered around her, salivating. It seemed that the bookworm had shed her chrysalis, thanks to Trevor’s attention.

  Just like a twisted fairy tale.

  Suzanne sulked by the fridge. I almost hadn’t recognized her, because of her dark wig. She was yet another vampire, a line of blood painted down her chin, with plastic fangs and tons of eyeliner. She looked fit to kill when Trevor charged into the kitchen and flung his arm around Jessica. Jessica purred and ran one long-nailed finger down his chest and then they kissed with enthusiasm. The guys hooted and Jessica smiled as she nestled against his side.

  As content as a cat in the sun.

  She was in her element, no doubt about that.

  ‘Bitch,’ Suzanne muttered and tossed back half of her glass of tomato juice. I was surprised by the wit of that, and wondered whether I’d underestimated her. I’d bet it had a little bonus in it – her eyes already looked glassy.

  Then she looked at me and her eyes narrowed. ‘Freak. Don’t think I don’t get it, Sorensson.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  Suzanne laughed without humor. She pointed a finger at me. ‘No one calls me crazy. Understand?’

  ‘I never called you crazy.’

  ‘But other people did, and it was because of you. I might not have proof of what I saw, but you can count on me getting it.’ She sipped her juice with satisfaction, malice shining in her eyes. ‘Then we’ll see who the real loser is.’

  It said something that I had bigger problems than Suzanne feeling vindictive. I smil
ed and made some innocuous comment about her being drunk early, then ignored her.

  Meagan glanced at me and smiled. Her eyes lit at the sight of Liam. Derek was right at my knees, Liam behind, and Nick ahead of me, and it felt good to be among friends.

  I accepted a Coke that I didn’t want and gave it a careful sniff before I sipped it. It seemed to be okay, but I didn’t plan to drink it anyway. I leaned against the counter near the back door, as if totally at ease, and pushed my ring onto my finger again.

  The vivid orange spell slapped me in the retina. It was brighter than any I’d ever seen, swirling and spinning with a manic energy. It spiraled down the stairs to the basement in an accelerating tunnel of power. I could feel its allure and see its effect upon even the humans who were present.

  Liam went over to talk to Meagan. She was obviously relieved to find someone she knew – never mind that he was a hot guy – and they started to dissect (again) the movie we’d seen together the other night.

  Derek growled a little and I knew he was displeased that we weren’t sticking together. He went to Liam, though, and sat in front of him. His pale gaze was restless, and he snarled at anyone who touched him.

  Nick bumped my shoulder with his, then took a swig of his beer. ‘Down there?’ he asked in old-speak. I knew he couldn’t see the spell, so I looked at him in surprise. He grinned crookedly. ‘I really really want to go down there.’

  So, he was feeling the effects. He knew it, but his thoughts were still muddled. I nodded agreement, not wanting to say anything aloud or in old-speak. I saw the spell swirling around Nick with greater intensity. Had he drawn it closer because of his old-speak? I remembered that the Mages could hear old-speak and I quietly freaked.

  I had no chance to warn Nick because he moved away from me, the orange light surrounding him with its glow. He gravitated toward the basement stairs. I exchanged a look with Liam and saw Derek’s eyes narrow. I pretended to sip my Coke, as if everything was peachy, although I had a feeling everything was sliding into the crapper.

  Good thing I was faking because Adrian walked into the kitchen just then.

  If I’d been drinking for real, I would have choked.

  Chapter Ten

  Adrian was the Mage who had pretended to be a dragon the previous spring and had cast a spell at boot camp that had turned the guys against me. Adrian had disappeared in the ensuing battle and we figured he’d been recalled to Mage headquarters – wherever that was. Since then, there’d been no sign of him.

  I’d known that I hadn’t seen the last of him.

  But now I pretended not to know it was him.

  Because he was in disguise. Beneath his construction worker costume – complete with hard hat, lunch box, and MEN AT WORK sign – he was wearing a glamour that made him look sixteen, short and blond. He watched me with care as he entered the room, but I pretended to be interested in my drink.

  Like I hadn’t even noticed him.

  My ring showed me the truth. Adrian flickered between forms on the periphery of my vision, his presence enough to make me queasy. I caught a glimpse of the human disguise he’d worn at boot camp – the easygoing college pal, the helpful guy with dark hair and dark eyes – as he shifted between forms. I had no idea whether the college pal was his real form or not, but it seemed to be one he liked. It made frequent appearances in his playlist.

  Did Mages don glamours to fake out non-Mages? I wondered. The answer was not lurking at the bottom of my Coke. Suzanne sidled over to him and made a joke about his costume. She could see only his glamour.

  Uh-huh. Even with the glamour, he wasn’t exactly the hottest guy at the party. He smiled back at her and that was good enough for Suzanne. Maybe she was drunk. They sidled up close to each other, even though he kept checking me out.

  Had he been planning to hit on me? I never thought I’d feel any gratitude toward Suzanne, but in that moment, she might just have been my favorite person in the universe for saving me some trouble.

  The spell spun more wildly in Adrian’s proximity, another golden thread weaving into its gilded spiral. It was moving faster and getting brighter all around us. Sparks danced from the Mages in attendance.

  I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck as the clock struck nine. A visible frisson of energy crackled through the house. The party quickly got louder. The temperature rose. The beat of the music became more insistent.

  Nick got even closer to the basement stairs.

  Shit.

  The spell targeted him, swirling around his head like a swarm of fireflies. I could see him fighting it.

  And I knew that he was losing.

  ‘Hey, Nick,’ Liam said. ‘Come tell Meagan about your car.’

  Nick shuddered from head to toe, then grinned. It was a shaky grin, far from his usual smile, but I was proud of him for trying. I was thinking we should snatch Meagan and bail.

  But then the Mages would just regroup. I wanted to know what they were up to.

  ‘Great idea,’ Nick said. He visibly gritted his teeth to head toward them, defying the allure of the spell. I could see that his temples were dark with sweat, but he moved toward Meagan.

  Just when I thought we were out of the proverbial woods, Trevor laughed. ‘Hey, I’ve got a great idea! Let’s jam!’

  ‘Excellent,’ Jessica said. ‘I’m ready to sing.’

  They headed for the stairs, arms wrapped around each other.

  ‘Meagan plays piano, you know,’ Jessica said to Trevor.

  ‘Really?’ He smiled at Meagan and she blushed, right on cue. ‘That’s great. I have an electronic keyboard, but I’m not good at it. Will you come jam with us?’

  Meagan’s face lit up.

  There was no way she’d refuse.

  And there was no way she could play in a houseful of Mages without them realizing that she was a spellsinger.

  I saw from Trevor’s expression that he, at least, knew what she could do.

  ‘Hey, but I wanted to talk to you,’ I said to Meagan. I had no excuse, not even something feeble.

  ‘We can do that later,’ she said predictably, and followed Trevor. ‘Do you have your sax here?’

  ‘Not the one I play at school. My dad bought me an amazing antique one. You should hear the sound of it.’

  ‘I can’t wait.’

  Liam went after Meagan, his expression concerned. ‘I’ve never heard you play,’ he said to her and she smiled at him.

  Derek snarled and went after Liam.

  Nick looked at me, swallowed, and followed Liam.

  Shit. The worst-case scenario was happening and there was nothing I could do about it.

  I followed them all, my guts churning with dread.

  ‘I love jazz,’ Suzanne purred at Adrian.

  ‘Me, too.’ I saw Adrian smile, then heard him on the stairs behind me. If I’d hesitated, I’m sure he would have pushed me.

  Shit shit shit. Without knowing what was going to happen, I couldn’t make a plan of what to do to stop it. I heard the door at the top of the stairs slam and click behind us. I pivoted in surprise and Adrian smiled.

  ‘Nothing like a little privacy,’ he said and Suzanne giggled.

  Trevor played a trio of notes on his sax below us, warming up. I leapt down the last steps in time to see Meagan familiarizing herself with the controls of the keyboard.

  She played a score, the same one she always used to warm up, and I could see that she loosed a shower of spellsinger lights. Trevor smiled encouragement. Adrian practically rubbed his hands together with glee. Jessica smiled to herself and other Mages drew closer, easing toward Meagan from the perimeter of the room.

  My mouth went dry

  Then I saw the spell lock shut, trapping us in a maelstrom of orange light.

  This was so not good.

  I pretended to be oblivious to the spell and its power, even though anyone with a speck of perception would have noticed that my heart was pounding in terror. No one could have heard my pulse, though, beca
use they started to play.

  And it was loud. I couldn’t believe the amount of equipment down there. It would have made any member of Jared’s band salivate, and showed a remarkable investment. I guessed then that Trevor’s parents were Mages, too. I knew I’d never again look on anyone with any musical talent without wondering about their spellsinging abilities.

  The ring was the only thing that let me see whether they were making spells. The color and behavior of the musical spells was the only clue as to whether the musician in question had joined the Mage team or not.

  There were syntho drums and electric guitars, two bass guitars, the keyboard, a trombone, a trumpet, and Trevor’s sax. There were amps like crazy, the collective sound making the beams of the house reverberate in time.

  They were all warming up, creating a cacophony. The swirl of spell light was dizzying, contributing to the whole in a crazy swirl of gold. I couldn’t discern any pattern or rhythm to it – it seemed that the spells spun more wildly because they were confined. To make the visual feast even worse, the Mages who played were flickering between forms as they did so. It was as if they weren’t even real.

  Nick stood on one side of me and swore under his breath. Liam was on my other side, his fingers buried in the scruff of Derek’s fur. Derek had his ears folded back, as if offended by the sound.

  Or its volume.

  I wished I knew what he could see coming in the next two minutes.

  ‘Wow,’ Liam said, obviously well aware that the Mages would hear us.

  ‘And then some,’ Nick agreed, squaring his shoulders. They both looked at me.

  ‘Wait for it,’ I said softly and then I smiled. Adrian was hovering near me, watching. I was determined to keep surprise on my side. ‘I’m sure they’ll sound great once they warm up.’

  Trevor held up one hand and they fell silent. ‘Let’s start with something classic,’ he said. ‘Everyone know “Begin the Beguine”?’ One of the Mages on guitar played a riff, Meagan joined in on the first bar, and they hit it.

  They did sound good.

  Or maybe their collective spell was persuasive like that. The spell light created a cohesion then, spinning like a spiral in a thousand shades of yellow and gold. I was reminded of hot caramel spirals drizzled over desserts. When they cooled they were hard, brittle and sparkly, perfect swirls of sweetness.